Army Flap Over Letters To Dead Officers

Killed And Wounded Officers Were Sent Letters Urging Them To Return To Active Service

(AP)  The Army said Friday it would apologize to the families of about 275 officers killed or wounded in action who were mistakenly sent letters urging them to return to active duty.

The letters were sent a few days after Christmas to more than 5,100 Army officers who had recently left the service. Included were letters to about 75 officers killed in action and about 200 wounded in action. The 75 represent more than one-third of all Army officers who have died in Iraq since the war began.

"Army personnel officials are contacting those officers' families now to personally apologize for erroneously sending the letters," the Army said in a brief news release issued Friday night.

The Army did not say how or when the mistake was discovered. It said the database normally used for such correspondence with former officers had been "thoroughly reviewed" to remove the names of wounded or dead soldiers.

"But an earlier list was used inadvertently for the December mailings," the Army statement said, adding that the Army is apologizing to those officers and families affected and "regrets any confusion."

The total number of Army officers who have died in Iraq since the war began stood at 217 as of Dec. 2, according to the latest available Pentagon statistics. In all, the Army has had 1,552 soldiers — combining officers and enlisted — killed in action in Iraq since the war began in March 2003, plus 409 who died of non-hostile causes.

The number of Army officers wounded in action in Iraq stood at 894 as of Dec. 2, out of an Army total — for both officers and enlisted — of 14,165, according to the latest Pentagon figures.

Altogether, at least 3,006 members of the U.S. military have died in Iraq since the war began, according to an Associated Press count.

[comfortmd1]

even the highly regarded "officers" are nothing but numbers to the Bush Military

[randalds]

Posted by Rusty50 at 02:03 AM : Jan 06, 2007

A prime example of why "terrorism" even exists in the world. Ignorance and prejudice. Idiocy is the number one cause of terror and one could hold up him as a prime reason.

[defirststate]

"It said the database normally used for such correspondence with former officers had been 'thoroughly reviewed' to remove the names of wounded or dead soldiers."

That means that someone wasted the effort to revie and remove wounded and dead soldiers, and then someone else failed to be sure that they used that correct list. These same people bristle when the "military intelligence" is used as an example of an oxymoron. The jackasses involved should personally apologize to the families of deceased officers.

Maybe the army could hire someone who can structure a query to retrieve the information or list they need from a database.

[catt42701]

The army should send them more the apologies! How disgusting that they don't know their own dead.

[petesis]

Army dumbasses. No one realized that a list of Officers who have "left" the service might contain those who "left" due to being KIA. Part of this is due to the difference in the way enlisted and officers are treated. Officers get letters "urging them" to return. Enlisted guys get told... uh, you are in the Individual Ready Reserve and we are activating you.

[missingamerica]

Maybe we're looking at it backwards; rants about who has solutions may pale in the historical big picture, as our descendents instead ponder who created the most problems.

With the deficit and the Iraq war in their column, I do believe the Republicans are winning that unfortunate contest hands down.

[randalds]

Let me guess, you're a minority, living in a blue state, who flunked out in school and now has to try to live on the hollow promises and complaining of your beloved liberal party, hoping their patented whining might produce a miracle and actually produce a change or two in the country and in your own miserable life.

Posted by Rusty50 at 02:03 AM : Jan 06, 2007

Actually I'm a middle-class white male, which makes no difference to an obviously ignorant redneck such as yourself. I am prejudiced against no one in this world, except for people who stay stupid on purpose. Looks like that fits you to a tee.

[ablesch]

Every American, Canadian, Aussie, and Brit should watch the documentary, The Century of the Self, by Adam Curtis. It's a four part BBC series on American (and British) identity and is available on Google Video free of charge. It really will open your eyes to how those in power in business and government see us, your average people. A lot of things I read here today are basically ideas, notions, and slogans that those in power have put into your heads. If you don't end up watching the video, I just encourage everyone out there to think more for themselves, and try to make everyday conscious decisions not to blindly repeat and act out various scripts family members, teachers, politicians,and corporations have put into your minds. It's a hard thing to do -- to bridge the gap between the rational and irrational, but you'll feel happier when you finally break free..

[ablesch]

Every American, Canadian, Aussie, and Brit should watch the documentary, The Century of the Self, by Adam Curtis. It's a four part BBC series on American (and British) identity and is available on Google Video free of charge. It really will open your eyes to how those in power in business and government see us, your average people. A lot of things I read here today are basically ideas, notions, and slogans that those in power have put into your heads. If you don't end up watching the video, I just encourage everyone out there to think more for themselves, and try to make everyday conscious decisions not to blindly repeat and act out various scripts family members, teachers, politicians,and corporations have put into your minds. It's a hard thing to do -- to bridge the gap between the rational and irrational, but you'll feel happier when you finally break free..

[mustangbex]

Fridak- thanks for being a voice of solace and reason! Problems such as this have always occured during times of war- and that is a shame in it's own. Something that merits looking in to and correction. BUT- it's not like Bush created the software or entered the data or even sent those letters. He has done enough bad stuff on his own (or with the help of Rove, Cheney, etc), the blame for this should fall where it is truly due.